Work brace for vice

ABSTRACT

A work brace vice attachment for a custom jeweler&#39;&#39;s mandril and the like for achieving a three point support for such mandril between the jaws of such vice and on a sling under the working end of the mandril and consisting of a U shaped sling having leg portions adapted to overly the respective jaws of the vice and end portions cooperating with the sling for embracing the vice jaws such that one leg portion serves as an attaching means for attaching the brace to the fixed jaw, the other leg portion serving as a stabilizer guide for the movable jaw of the vice.

United States Patent Fuller 51 May 9,1972

[54] WORK BRACE FOR VICE [72] lnventor: John D. Fuller, I044 Laurent Street, Santa Cruz, Calif. 95060 [22] Filed: Nov. 16, 1970 [2 1] Appl. No.: 89,618.

[52] US. Cl. ..269/88, 269/277, 269/309 [51 Int. Cl [58] Field ofSearch [56] References Cited 2 UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,936,968 1 l/l933 Neal ..269/277 X 2,302,943 ll/l942 Haselwood ..269/269 Primary Brominer-l'heron E. Condon Assistant Examiner-Neil Abrams Attorney-Leslie M. Hansen [57] ABSTRACT A work brace vice attachment for a custom jewelers mandril and the like for achieving a three point support for such mandril between the jaws of such vice and on a sling under the working end of the mandril and consisting of a U shaped sling having leg portions adapted to overly the respective jaws of the vice and end portions cooperating with the sling for embracing the vice jaws such that one leg portion serves as an attaching means for attaching the brace to the fixed jaw, the other leg portion serving as a stabilizer guide for the movable jaw of the vice.

4 Claims, 7 Drawing Figures PATENTEDMAY 9 I972 INVENTOR. D. Fuller John 5 ms Arromve/ BACKGROUND This invention relates to an attachment for a viceandmore particularly to a work-brace for supporting a mandril upon which metal is to be formed into desiredshapes.

The work brace of the present inventionis adapted for use on conventional type bench vices having flat faced jaws between which an object to be worked upon can be clampingly held. This broad concept'is generally found in the art-such as US. PataNo. 1,964,194 disclosing a sleeve type jig for slidingly receiving'roundstock and radially split between- STATEMENT OF INVENTION The present invention provides an attachment mountable upon the jaws of a vice enabling round stock to be gripped'by both flat faces of the jaws, but providing means whereby the round stock is supported against rocking movement between the jaws. The attachment of the present invention is principally used by custom jewelers for supporting an anvil type mandril such as to enable hammering or pounding of metals thereover while forming such metal into desired shapes.

It is a principle object of the present invention to provide-a sling type support for an anvil type mandril gripped between the flat jaws of a conventional vice. This object contemplates the provision of a sling extending between apair of mounting elements one of which is attachable to the fixed jaw of the vice and theother slidably supported on the movable jaw thereof such as to achieve three point support for various mandrils gripped by the vice during forming of custom jewelry and'the like;

It is another object to provide means on such leg portions cooperable with the sling for embracing the jaws of the vice widthwise.

It is another object to provide one of such leg portions with a jaw gripping terminal end disposed to underlie the fixed jaw of a vice to maintain the' work brace in fixed relation with the fixed jaw.

These and other objects of the present invention will become apparent in the following description and claims in the light of the accompanying drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a, vice from above the left front side thereof showing the work brace of the present in;- vention applied thereto;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary side elevation of the left side of FIG. 1, at larger scale;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary side elevation of the side opposite to that of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a plan view of the work brace only as seen from above in FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a side view of the work brace as seen from the left in FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a side view of the opposite side of the work brace as seen from the right of FIG. 4;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the work brace at a scale similar to that of FIG. 1.

GENERAL DESCRIPTION Referring to FIG. 1 a conventional vice 10 is shown as hav- DETAILED DESCRIPTION The work brace of the present invention, designated 20 in thedrawings, comprises a single strand 21 steel wire having a U shaped bend22 substantially midway its ends to provide a central sling portion 23. A pair of legs 24 and 25 extending in parallel relation from the U shaped bend 22 are disposed at right angles to the central sling portion 23. These legs 24 and 25 are of a length such as to provide portions 24' and 25 adopted to overliethe moveable and fixed jaws 11 and 13 of the vice 10; The portions 24' and 25' are spaced from each other a distance suitable to rest upon the jaws I1 and 12 and receive therebetween the shank S of a mandril M disposed between the flat faces 16 and 17 of the jaws.

Each of the legs 24- and 25 of the brace 20 have their ends 26"and 27 respectively bent downwardly in parallel relation to the U shaped sling portion 23 so as to embrace the sides of the respective jaws l'l and 13 of the vice 10. The end 26 of the leg 24 overlying thefixed jaw 11 is slightly longer was to extend beyond the bottom limits of the fixed jaw and has a terminal end 28 which extends inwardly, parallel to the portion 24' of leg" 24' to co-act with the latter in embracing the top and a portion of the bottom of the fixed jaw 11.

In application the work brace 20 is removably attachable to a vice 10 for which it is suited, it being understood that work braces of various sizes are provided to fit vices of different widths and jaw sizes. As shown in the drawing the work brace 20 is so constituted that its longer leg 24 serves as the attaching portion in that it has a wrap around fit over the fixed jaw 11. In the present disclosure the work brace 20 is for a righthanded workman and consequently the sling portion 23 is disposed to lie flush with the vertical faces on the right side of the jaws 11 and 13. For lefthanded workman the sling 23 is disposed to engage the left vertical face of the vice jaws. In either casethe sling portion 23 and end portions 26 and 27 of the legs 24 and 25- engage opposite vertical sides of the respective jaws 11 and Kid the vice and the sling 23 is suspended therefrom within the range of the gap between the flat faces 16 and 17 of these jaws.

The attaching leg 24 of the brace 20 is thereby secured to the stationary jaw 11 while the otherleg 25 serves as a stabilizer guide for themovable jaw 13 of the vice. By this arrangement the movable jaw 13 is free to move toward and from the fixed jaw 11 to which the brace is attached.

When the shank S of a mandril M is disposed between the jaws 11 and 12 the fiat faces 16 and 17 of the latter grip the shankin the usual manner when the hand operated screw 15 of the vice is tightened up. The mandril M is set in the vice such that the working end or anvil portion W of the mandril extends beyond the sling portion 23 of the work brace 20. With the mandril M disposed in a canted condition, i.e., lowest on its shank end S and highest on its working end W various sized mandril may be braced-within the range width of the attaching and stabilizing legs 24 and 25 of the work brace 20. At all events the shank S is firmly gripped by the flat faces 16 and 17 of the vice jaws and the working end W of the mandril supported against downward movement by the sling portion 23 of the brace 20. The mandril thus has three point support by the two faces of 16 and 17 of the vice and the sling portion 23 of the work brace 20;

By the foregoing arrangement a workman can place metal to be worked upon over the extended work end W of the mandril M and hammer the metal to be shaped with assurance that the anvil'like work-end W will remain stable and stationary. By the same token the vice 10 is useable in the usual manner to grip and work upon other forms of jewelry without removing the work brace attachment.

Having thus described the work brace attachment in specific detail what I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

v 1. An attachment for a vice of the type having a movable jaw and means for moving the latter toward and from a fixed jaw for gripping therebetween a jewelers mandril and the like;

5 a work brace comprising:

a U shaped sling having a pair of leg portions extending at jaw.

right angles thereto for overlying the fixed and movable 3. The work brace in accordance with that of claim 2 in jaws respectively of such vice and suspend the U shaped which the leg portion overlying the movable jaw is a stabilizer sling adjacent one side of the jaws of such vice for supleg portion having its downtumed end cooperating with the U orting one end of a mandril gri ed thereby; and 5 shaped sling for stabilizing the work brace relative to the a downtumed e d on h f aid l portions f engaging movable jaw and during movement of the latter toward and the opposite sides of the respective jaws of the vice and from the j cooperating i h id li f supporting Said work brace 4. The work brace in accordance with that of claim 3 in on such vice. which the downtumed end of said attaching leg portion has a 2 The work brace i accordance with that f claim 1 in 10 terminal end extending inwardly parallel to said attaching leg which the leg portion overlying the fixed jaw is an attaching Portion i cooperating with latter f embracing the top leg portion having a longer downtumed end cooperating with and a Porno" of the bottom Ofsald -l said U shaped sling for attaching the work brace to said fixed 

1. An attachment for a vice of the type having a movable jaw and means for moving the latter toward and from a fixed jaw for gripping therebetween a jeweler''s mandril and the like; a work brace comprising: a U shaped sling having a pair of leg portions extending at right angles thereto for overlying the fixed and movable jaws respectively of such vice and suspend the U shaped sling adjacent one side of the jaws of such vice for supporting one end of a mandril gripped thereby; and a downturned end on each of said leg portions for engaging the opposite sides of the respective jaws of the vice and cooperating with said sling for supporting said work brace on such vice.
 2. The work brace in accordance with that of claim 1 in which the leg portion overlying the fixed jaw is an attaching leg portion having a longer downturned end cooperating with said U shaped sling for attaching the work brace to said fixed jaw.
 3. The work brace in accordance with that of claim 2 in which the leg portion overlying the movable jaw is a stabilizer leg portion having its downturned end cooperating with the U shaped sling for stabilizing the work brace relative to the movable jaw and during movement of the latter toward and from the fixed jaw.
 4. The work brace in accordance with that of claim 3 in which the downturned end of said attaching leg portion has a terminal end extending inwardly parallel to said attaching leg portion and cooperating with the latter for embracing the top and a portion of the bottom of said fixed jaw. 